People with different backgrounds perform diverse tasks in an organisation to achieve common goal. What aims at guiding their efforts towards achieving a common goal?

Management

The correct answer is option (4) : Management

* Management is a very popular term and has been used extensively for all types of activities and mainly for taking charge of different activities in any enterprise. Management is an activity which is necessary wherever there is a group of people working in an organisation. People in organisations are performing diverse tasks but they are all working towards the same goal. Management aims at guiding their efforts towards achieving a common objective — a goal. Thus, management has to see that tasks are completed and goals are achieved (i.e., effectiveness) with the least amount of resources at a minimum cost (i.e., efficiency).

* Planning is the function of determining in advance what is to be done and who is to do it. This implies setting goals in advance and developing a way of achieving them efficiently and effectively

* Controlling is the management function of monitoring organisational performance towards the attainment of organisational goals. The task of controlling involves establishing standards of performance, measuring current performance, comparing this with established standards and taking corrective action where any deviation is found.

* The process by which a manager synchronises the activities of different departments is known as coordination.